Secker, Thomas (1693-1768)

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 109 SECKER
  • Dates of Creation
      1689-1768
  • Language of Material
      English German Latin
  • Physical Description
      12 volumes

Scope and Content

Correspondence and papers of Thomas Secker (1693-1768), Archbishop of Canterbury 1758-68.

Arrangement

These form part of the Archbishops' Papers. These in turn form part of the archives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, which also comprise: Bishops' Meetings records (BM), Cartae Antiquae et Miscellaneae (Lambeth Charters) (CM), Convocation records (Conv), Court of Arches records (Arches), Faculty Office records (F), Lambeth Conference papers (LC), Temporalities records (ED and T), including correspondence on the Archbishops' estates (TR 8-36), and Vicar General records (V).

The provenance of the Early Modern Archbishops' Papers, including the Secker papers, is complex. This is an artificial collection which was brought together between 1982 and 1984 (see the Library's annual reports). It comprises for the most part papers acquired in the 18th century (which relate to other papers which had been placed long ago in the MSS series), but also selected papers from the archive of the Vicar General which were transferred in at this time to accompany them. There is a considerable overlap with other series in the Library, notably the records of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

Access Information

Open

Other Finding Aids

New descriptions by Richard Palmer, 2014

Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements

12 vols, bound in blue cloth, various sizes.

Related Material

Extensive papers of Archbishop Secker are also found in the manuscripts series, especially:

MSS 1082, 1118-1124, 1130, 1134A, 1155, 1349-1350, 1483, 1719-1720, 2559-2598, 2606.

Bibliography

Robert G. Ingram, 'Religion, Reform and Modernity in the Eighteenth Century: Thomas Secker and the Church of England', Studies in Modern British Religious History, 17 (Boydell Press, 2007) [Lambeth Palace Library H5198.SI6].'The autobiography of Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury', edited by John S. Macauley & R.W. Greaves (Lawrence: University of Kansas Libraries, 1988). Leslie W. Barnard, 'Thomas Secker, an eighteenth century primate' (1998). Secker papers quoted in Emma Major, "The Life and Works of Catherine Talbot (1721-1770): 'A Public Concern'" in Sarah Apetrei and Hannah Smith, eds, 'Women and Religion in Britain, 1660-1760' (Ashgate, 2014).